


Honest Man

by kashmir



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-05
Updated: 2006-01-05
Packaged: 2017-10-09 02:12:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/81849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kashmir/pseuds/kashmir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is more than meets than eye when it comes to Jayne Cobb.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Honest Man

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based on something I noticed in the BDM: Jayne wears what looks like a [St. Christopher](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v187/Jewly4981/Serenity1435.jpg) [medal](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v187/Jewly4981/Serenity1543.jpg) in more than one scene. I took that and ran with it and from it came a Rayne fic that I've been laboring over for three weeks now. Thank goodness it's finally done. Beta-ed by the loverly [](http://janus-74.livejournal.com/profile)[**janus_74**](http://janus-74.livejournal.com/) and [](http://phatgirly.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://phatgirly.livejournal.com/)**phatgirly**. Thanks, guys. &lt;3

Shepherd Book had gifted him with the medal right before he'd left Serenity for good. Had pressed it into his callused palm after their last weight training session in the cargo bay. Told him that St. Christopher was considered the patron saint of travelers and, he added with a laugh, he figured Jayne could use all the help he could get.

Jayne had been touched, more than he tried to let on but he had a feeling Book knew anyway. Man was like that. Knew things whether or not you told him. The Shepherd reminded Jayne a lot of his father and he knew the rest of the crew didn't understand the friendship they had developed. Jayne couldn't be bothered to explain and the Shepherd was basically a private man so they were left in the dark.

Jayne didn't much care that they wondered and wasn't ever going to explain either that he'd had a very normal childhood with a stable family, and a father who was the local preacher and a mother who'd been a schoolmarm before she'd married his Pa. He'd attended church every Sunday and to this day said grace before he ate anything, even if it was almost always silent. He didn't explain to anyone that his father had been murdered by a drifter when he was nineteen and they'd moved away shortly afterwards and that in the year following his Pa's death, he'd lost most of the morals his daddy had spent a lifetime teaching him.

A year and a half later, he'd already become a merc, after hunting down the no-good _hun dan_ who'd shot his Pa over a couple of credits, making sure he didn't steal anyone else's childhood.

The Shepherd never asked about his past and Jayne liked that. He was sometimes a man of few words, which Jayne also liked. Didn't hurt Book seemed to know his way around a gun.

They were an unlikely pair, the merc and the preacher. But they were nearly always amiable to each other and enjoyed spending time in each other's company. Jayne was the first person Book told he was leaving. He had also told him he wasn't ever planning on having to say words over Jayne's corpse.

He'd be more than happy, he had added with a sly grin, to see him made an honest man out of.

Jayne had laughed it off at the time, quite sure he'd never meet a nice girl, the kind you married anyway, way out in the black. Or one that would be willing to take on an ornery sumbitch like him.

He'd told Book as much. Book had out and out laughed and just told him he was quite sure he'd end up eating those words someday. Then he'd gifted Jayne with the medal and Jayne had forgotten about the whole conversation.

Until much later.

...

He thought back on that conversation quite often now. Figuring that Book hadn't planned on Jayne being the one hell-bent on getting married and the girl refusing.

Also probably hadn't counted on the girl being River Tam.

Jayne hadn't either. Of all the girls in the 'verse, River would've been the last one he'd expected to fall in love with or, even more surprising, have love him back.

Hadn't expected to have his proposal refused flat out, either. She'd told him no then left his bunk right after he'd asked. When he'd chased her down, after hastily throwing clothes on and demanded to know why she wouldn't marry him... They were in love, after all. And Jayne wanted to make everything all legal and proper-like. Didn't expect her to leave him high and dry.

She'd then informed him she didn't believe in marriage, that it was 'an out-dated custom and a piece of paper and a trite ceremony wouldn't change the fact they were in love.' And that with or without a 'missus' in front of her name, she'd love him for the rest of her life.

Jayne couldn't find fault with the latter part of her argument and wasn't even sure how to begin arguing with the former part. So he'd decided to let it go and focus instead on why she'd just up and left his bunk so abruptly. She'd smiled and tilted her head, explaining that she was just going to her room to pack her belongings. She assumed he wouldn't mind sharing his bunk if he had asked her to be his wife.

He'd just nodded and helped her pack her stuff up, moving her in and getting her settled within two hours. He was happy she was finally willing to share quarters with him, something she'd been refusing to do for months. Jayne hoped eventually she'd come around on the marriage issue as well.

By the next time they made their way to Haven, it was three months later and River was still refusing. Jayne was reaching his wit's end, not knowing what to do. He'd repeatedly asked River to marry him with her telling him no every gorram time.

_Serenity_ had barely touched down on Haven when Jayne was seeking out Book to see if he'd try to talk some sense into his River-girl. River had followed him, arguing with him all the while that nothing the preacher-man would have to say could change her mind.

"I am quite satisfied with our current situation. A primitive ceremony and some words will not change how I feel," River stated, practically running to keep up with Jayne's long-legged and annoyed stride.

"Yeah, well, I ain't satisfied," He stopped and turned to face her. "It ain't right, girl. You may think it's out-dated or whatever but, gorramit, I was raised to marry the girl I fell in love wit.' Jus' my luck, I fall in love wit' the most stubbornest, gorram _feng le_ girl in the 'verse."

"Stubborn? I am the one who is stubborn? Jayne, you are my mate for life! No one else, Jayne, there will be no one else for me," she said, laying a hand on his arm, desperately trying to placate him.

Jayne opened his mouth to respond but just then Book opened the door they had been standing in front of.

"Trouble in paradise?" He asked with a smile.

Jayne turned to face the older man.

"She's ruttin' crazy, Preacher. I done asked her to marry me at least seventy-five times and she keeps tellin' me NO!" He rounded on River, poking a finger in her face. "That's it, River. I can't take it anymore. My momma would have my hide if she knew how we've been livin' these past few months. Not to mention my Pa if he was still livin! _Lao tain ye_, he'd skin me alive! Sharin' quarters with a girl ain't my wife!"

"Jayne, please, do not be upset-"

Jayne cut her off. "No, River. I can't take it anymore. I love you and you love me but obviously not enough to take my name. This ain't easy for a man like me, askin' you to marry me, 'specially when you keep on tellin' me no! I'm done fed up!"

With that he turned and was about to leave when Book grabbed his arm. He avoided looking at River, could tell by her hitched breathing she was trying not to cry.

"What, preacher-man?"

"I think perhaps we should all sit down and talk this out. I don't think everything that needs to be known about this situation is out in the open."

He ushered them inside the room, which seemed to be a common room of sorts, filled with couches and cushions. Book took a seat opposite a large red couch, motioning for the distraught couple to take a seat.

They did -- each at opposite ends.

Book sighed, knowing he had his work cut out for him.

"Let me see if I have this all straight in my head. Jayne, you want to marry our little River and have repeatedly asked her," He paused and the merc gave a curt nod. "And River, you have repeatedly said no when asked but you do love Jayne and you two are now sharing quarters for close to three months, correct?"

The pair whipped their heads up to look at him, wondering how -

"I get periodic waves from the captain, keeping me abreast of the happenings aboard Serenity. Between that and the little disagreement I witnessed in the hallway, I was able to piece things together. Now, Jayne, why is it so important to you that you and River marry?"

Jayne shifted uncomfortably, not knowing if he was ready to reveal so much of his past to not only one but two people. But seeing as how he'd tried everything else, he threw caution to the wind and just went for it.

"Pa was a preacher. Not 'xactly like you, Shepherd. Married and had a family but he was the local man of God in my town. I spent every Sunday in Church till I was nineteen years old. Pa was kilt by some no-good drifter when he was comin' out of the general store in town, buying my ma some flour the year I turned nineteen. Gut-shot. Lived long enough to make me promise to not forget what he'd spent near my entire life teachin' me. Includin' that if I fell in love, to marry the girl and give her my name. 'Cept River here won't have none of it!"

Book wasn't quite as shocked as River, having had his suspicions while aboard _Serenity_ about Jayne's past. River, while still not looking at Jayne, had a look of shock on her face. She tried not to pry into Jayne's mind and specifically his past so she had had no idea why getting married was so important to him. But it was still not enough to make her change her mind.

So she told him as much. He sputtered, not believing his own ears. He'd near enough bared his soul to her and Book and she was still refusing. He went to stand up but Book raised a hand and shook his head 'no' almost imperceptibly.

"Now, River, sweetie, why don't you want to marry Jayne?"

River kept her head down while answering the preacher, peeking occasionally at him through her hair.

"I do not wish to marry anyone. I love Jayne and we share a living space now. Marriage is an out-dated practice, archaic and I will not have any part in it!" She was practically shouting by the time she was done. "I do not want it to change," She added in a near-whisper.

Book leaned forward at this and he could see some of the stiffness leave Jayne's crossed arms.

"River, what don't you want to change?" Book asked patiently.

"How Jayne feels towards me. Don't ever want to become just a brood-mare or shiny trinket to be paraded about. Marriage changes a man, Shepherd," She said, still staring intently at her own hands.

Jayne was stunned. He wasn't sure were all this was coming from but he had a good idea. Judging by the look on Book's face, so did he.

"River, is that what happened with you parents?"

"Told her he would love her forever. Forever lasted exactly twelve months, three weeks and four days after their wedding. Only wanted her for the heirs she would produce and the pretty picture they made when going out together," For the first time since sitting down, she chanced a look at Jayne. "I do not want to end up like them, Jayne. I am such a coward."

She put her head into her hands and started to cry. Jayne scooted closer to her and wrapped her in his arms, till she was snug up against his chest.

"Shh, River-girl. Shh. You ain't no coward. Bravest woman I ever known and I know Zoe. You have to be to take on an old _hun dan_ like me," She half-sobbed, half-laughed into his chest at that. He gently nudged her chin with his hand till she was looking at him, tears still welling up in her eyes. "River, why didn't you tell me all this? I would've laid off pesterin' you weeks ago, if I'd known."

"Was afraid. To even admit to myself why I did not want to marry you," She paused, brow wrinkling in thought. "No, not entirely true. I want to be Mrs. Cobb, know you are a more honorable, loving man than my father. But what is known here," She tapped her head, "Is not always what is known here." She tapped her heart.

She looked up at Jayne, cupped his cheek. "Will you still have me, Jayne? Pledge yourself to me in an archaic fashion? Love, honor and obey?"

"You sure, lil' darlin'? I can understand if you wouldn't want to. Although not all marriages end up like your folks. Hell, my ma and pa were happy till the day he died. And lookit the little man and Zoe! And if there were ever two people who don't-" Jayne stopped at River's raised brow. "So, uh, you're sure?"

"Sure about what, Jayne? I am not aware there was a question asked that needed answering," She smiled impishly at both Jayne and the Shepherd, her fears assuaged in the face of Jayne's love and his willingness to abide by her wishes, whatever they may be.

Jayne sighed and slid off the couch, grabbing both her hands in his large ones, kneeling directly in front of her.

"This is the last time, River Tam. I mean it. I ain't askin' you again. So. Will you make an honest man outta me? Marry me?"

She nodded her head 'yes' then leaned forward and kissed him. He smiled and slid the necklace the Shepherd had given him off his neck and over her head.

"Don't have a ring or nothin.'"

"I like this better. Will wear it always over my heart. _Xie xie, bao bei_," She kissed Jayne lightly on the lips before looking back at the preacher while Jayne situated himself beside her on the couch once more.

"Thank you, Shepherd, for helping them with what they could not see themselves. I would like very much if you would read the words over us out of your symbol. Would be meaningful to Jayne, as well."

Book smiled and thought back on some of his parting words to Jayne before leaving _Serenity_. He caught Jayne's eye and winked.

"Little River, I would be more than happy to help you make an honest man out of Jayne Cobb."


End file.
